Method and composition for hyperthermally treating cells

A method of targeting tumor stem cells for therapy in a patient in need thereof, the method comprising

• combining chemotherapy with thermotherapy by
• administering anti-tumor antibody specific coated drug containing nanoparticles to a patient in need thereof, the nanoparticles forming an antibody labeled nanoparticle-cell complex at a target site,
• thereafter locally administering thermal therapy at the tumor site containing the anti-tumor antibody specific coated drug containing nanoparticles wherein the nanoparticles respond by expanding thus generating a an acoustic signal,
• measuring the acoustic signal and relating the measured signal to
• a first temperature of the nanoparticle tumor cell complex and thereafter a second temperature of the nanoparticle tumor cell complex, and
• controlling the temperature of the nanoparticle tumor cell complex from at least 37° C. to 43° C. for the first temperature for an initial stage of thermotherapy, and at least one of 43° C. to 58° C., 43° C. to 45° C., 43° C. to 58° C., 45° C. to 50° C., 50° C. to 58° C., 58° C. to 60° C., greater than 58° C., or greater than 60° C. for the second temperature, based on the acoustic signal,
• the tumor thermotherapy being a stepwise increase in temperature that at relatively lower temperatures primes the tumor stem cells for increased susceptibility to the chemotherapy then, at relatively higher temperatures, kills the primed tumor stem cells with a synergistic combination of the chemotherapy and the thermotherapy.

A method of providing thermotherapy to a cancer patient, the method comprising

• (a) administering to a cancer patient in need thereof a composition comprising at least one biocompatible excipient and a liposome, where the liposome comprises at least one nanoparticle and at least one anticancer drug, optionally conjugated to the at least one nanoparticle, under conditions to provide a concentration of the anticancer drug at a target site sufficient to be amenable to thermal therapy, and
• (b) providing an energy source wherein the nanoparticles respond by expanding thus generating an acoustic signal,
• (c) measuring the acoustic signal and relating the measured signal to a first temperature of the nanoparticle at the tumor site and a second temperature of the nanoparticle tumor site, and controlling the temperature of the nanoparticle from at least 37° C. to 43° C. for the first temperature and 43° C. to 58° C., greater than 58° C., or greater than 60° C. for the second temperature, based on the acoustic signal to hyperthermally treat cells,
• the thermotherapy resulting in specific staged drug delivery and thermal damage to tumor cells.